Surah Al-Muzzammil (73) — Ayah 20

(Ayah 20) ➊ { اِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ اَنَّكَ …:} Sa‘d bin Hisham narrates that I asked ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “Tell me about the night prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?” She replied: “Do you not recite {’’ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ‘‘}?” I said: “Of course!” She said: “Allah made standing in prayer at night obligatory in the beginning of this surah, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions stood in prayer for a year, and Allah withheld the last part of this surah in the heavens for twelve months, until He revealed the concession in the last part of this surah, and after being obligatory, the night prayer became voluntary.” [ مسلم، صلاۃ المسافرین و قصرھا، باب جامع صلاۃ اللیل… : ۷۴۶ ] Regarding the revelation of the beginning and end of Surah al-Muzzammil, this is the most authentic statement in terms of chain of narration. At the end of this same narration in Sahih Muslim, it is mentioned that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) also affirmed the statement of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), so the narrations mentioning eight or sixteen months are less preferred, and the statement of Sa‘id bin Jubayr (a Tabi‘i) that the last part of Surah al-Muzzammil was revealed ten years later holds no weight compared to the established statements of such great companions as ‘A’ishah and Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them).
Some people of our time have left the authentic statement of ‘A’ishah and Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) and considered the statement of a Tabi‘i, Sa‘id bin Jubayr, more authentic, arguing that the content at the beginning of Surah al-Muzzammil indicates it was revealed in the early Makkan period, while the last verse mentions jihad and zakah, which were made obligatory in Madinah, so there must be a ten-year gap between the beginning and end. However, it is incorrect to say that jihad or zakah are not mentioned in Makkan surahs; although jihad was practically started in Madinah and the nisab of zakah was set there, both jihad and zakah are mentioned in Makkan surahs. See also the benefit of this verse (7) and (8).
➋ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood in prayer for about two-thirds, half, or a third of the night for a year, and a group of companions also followed him in this, but as there were no clocks, out of concern for fulfilling the command, they tried to stand as much as possible, but accurately estimating half or a third of the night was not within their ability. Therefore, it is said that Allah, who is the Creator of day and night and knows well their measure—that the night is sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes comes in summer, sometimes in winter—He knows well that you will never be able to do this always, so He mercifully made it easy for you; now stand in prayer as much as you can easily manage.
➌ When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) themselves could not always stand for two-thirds, half, or a third of the night, then the stories narrated about some elders that they prayed ‘Isha and Fajr with one ablution for forty (40) years should be considered: how could they do what even the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions could not? Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray eleven or thirteen rak‘ahs at night, but the excellence of these elders is described as praying a thousand rak‘ahs every night. Now, either these stories must be considered false, or it must be accepted that these elders strove to surpass the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in every deed.
➍ {فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ: ’’أَيْ فَصَلُّوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ‘‘} “That is, pray as much as is easy for you in the night.” The word “recitation” is used to mean prayer, just as other components such as standing, rak‘ah, and prostration are used to mean prayer. So the meaning is: stand in prayer as much as is easy for you. Some say that “recite as much of the Qur’an as is easy for you” means that it is not necessary to recite Surah al-Fatihah in prayer; whatever verse one can recite easily, he may recite, and the prayer will be valid. But this is not correct. There is no mention here that in prayer, recite as much Qur’an as is easy for you; rather, from the context of the verse, it is clear that {’’ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ ‘‘} refers to standing in prayer at night, i.e., if you cannot stand for so long, then stand as much as is easy for you. In reference to prayer, it is common to mention a part and intend the whole. For example, standing, rak‘ah, and prostration are all parts of prayer, but each word is used to mean the whole prayer. In {’’ فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ ‘‘} as well, “Qur’an” is used to mean prayer. The author of Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Alusi Hanafi, writes: {’’أَيْ فَصَلُّوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ عُبِّرَ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ كَمَا عُبِّرَ عَنْهَا بِسَائِرِ أَرْكَانِهَا‘‘} “That is, stand in prayer at night as much as is easy for you; here, ‘recitation’ is used to mean prayer, just as the other components of prayer are used to mean prayer.” If only the words are taken, the meaning would be: you are not able to stand for so long, so recite as much Qur’an as is easy for you, whether in prayer or outside of prayer, recite that much at night. The author of Ruh al-Ma‘ani has also indicated this meaning, but the first meaning is more correct.
As for the idea that any verse may be recited and the prayer will be valid, after the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there remains no room for this, as is found in the Sahihayn and almost every book of hadith from ‘Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ] [ بخاري، الأذان، باب و جوب القراءۃ… : ۷۵۶۔ مسلم : ۳۹۴ ] “Whoever does not recite Surah al-Fatihah, his prayer is not valid.” Yes, if someone does not even know Surah al-Fatihah, he should keep reciting {’’سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَإِلاَّ بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ‘‘} and then go into bowing. [ دیکھیے أبو داوٗد، الصلاۃ، باب ما یجزیٔ الأمي… : ۸۳۲ و حسنہ الألباني ]
➎ {عَلِمَ اَنْ سَيَكُوْنُ مِنْكُمْ مَّرْضٰى … :} The reason for the concession in standing in prayer at night was previously stated: that always standing for two-thirds, half, or a third of the night is beyond your ability, so stand as much as is easy for you. Now, three reasons are given for being unable to do so, which can happen to anyone: the first is illness, which includes old age and all kinds of physical disability. The second is seeking Allah’s bounty, i.e., traveling for sustenance, which includes traveling for knowledge, visiting friends, and all other permissible purposes. The third is fighting in the way of Allah, which includes not only battle but also its preparation and keeping watch. After mentioning these reasons, it is again said: « فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ» that due to these excuses, stand in prayer as much as is easy for you.
➏ The most appropriate hadith regarding the specification of {’’ تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ‘‘} is the one narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: [ مَنْ قَامَ بِعَشْرِ آيَاتٍ لَمْ يُكْتَبْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِيْنَ وَ مَنْ قَامَ بِمِائَةِ آيَةٍ كُتِبَ مِنَ الْقَانِتِيْنَ وَ مَنْ قَامَ بِأَلْفِ آيَةٍ كُتِبَ مِنَ الْمُقَنْطِرِيْنَ ] [ أبو داوٗد، تفریع أبواب شھر رمضان، باب تحزیب القرآن: ۱۳۹۸، وصححہ الألباني ] “Whoever stands in prayer with ten verses will not be recorded among the heedless; whoever stands with a hundred verses will be recorded among the devout worshippers; and whoever stands with a thousand verses will be recorded among those with great treasures.” From this verse and hadith, it is clear that even after the concession, standing in prayer at night with at least ten verses is emphasized.
➐ Regarding { ’’ وَ اٰخَرُوْنَ يُقَاتِلُوْنَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (and others will be fighting in the way of Allah), Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that this is a great proof of the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because this verse, indeed the whole surah, was revealed in Makkah when jihad had not yet begun; at that time, this was a prophecy of the unseen, which can only be given through a prophet.
➑ From {’’ وَ اَقِيْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ ‘‘} it is known that zakah had already been made obligatory in Makkah, although the specification of the nisab for various things was determined in Madinah. The meaning is: stand in prayer at night as much as is easy for you, but do not be negligent in performing the obligatory prayers and giving zakah.
➒ After zakah, {وَ اَقْرِضُوا اللّٰهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا … :} “a goodly loan” refers to voluntary charity; whether it is zakah, voluntary charity, or any good deed, it will be returned on the Day of Judgment multiplied tenfold, up to seven hundred times, or even more.
➓ {وَ اسْتَغْفِرُوا اللّٰهَ:} That is, whatever deed it may be, along with its performance and after it, seek forgiveness from Allah; do not become proud of your deed. In Surah al-Dhariyat, regarding the pious, it is said: « كَانُوْا قَلِيْلًا مِّنَ الَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُوْنَ (17) وَ بِالْاَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوْنَ» [ الذاریات : ۱۷،۱۸] “They used to sleep little at night, and in the early morning hours they would seek forgiveness.” Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer with salam, he would seek forgiveness three times. [ مسلم، المساجد و مواضع الصلاۃ، باب استحباب الذکر بعد الصلاۃ وبیان صفتہ : ۵۹۱ ]

20. 1 When, at the beginning of the Surah, the command was given to stand (in prayer) for half the night or less or more, the Prophet ﷺ and a group of his companions would stand in prayer at night, sometimes for less or more than two-thirds, sometimes for half the night, sometimes for a third of the night, as mentioned here. But, firstly, this standing at night was extremely burdensome, and secondly, it was difficult to estimate the time—whether it was half the night or a third—therefore, in this verse, Allah revealed the command of concession, which, according to some, gives permission to leave the standing (in prayer).

20. 2 That is, Allah can count the hours of the night—how many have passed and how many remain—but for you, it is impossible to estimate.

20. 3 When it is not possible for you to accurately estimate the passing of the night, then how can you remain engaged in the prayer of Tahajjud for the prescribed times?

20. 4 That is, for trade and business, you will have to travel, and go from one city to another, or from one country to another.

20. 5 Similarly, in jihad, one has to undertake arduous journeys and hardships, and these three things—illness, travel, and jihad—occur to everyone from time to time, so Allah has given a concession in the command of standing at night, because in all three conditions, it is extremely difficult and a great test of patience.

20. 6 Along with the reasons for concession, this command of concession is repeated again for emphasis.

20. 7 That is, the five prayers which are obligatory.

20. 8 That is, spend in the way of Allah as needed and as you are able; it is called a good loan because Allah will grant in return a reward up to seven hundred times or even more. The voluntary prayers, charity, and other good deeds—whatever you do, you will receive the best reward from Allah. According to most commentators, this verse was revealed in Madinah, so they say that half of it is Makki and half is Madani.

Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand (in prayer) nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half the night, or (sometimes) a third of the night, and so does a group among your companions. And Allah alone determines the measure of night and day. He knows that you will not be able to keep count of it, so He has turned to you in mercy [18]. So recite, then, as much of the Quran as is easy (for you). He knows that some of you will be ill, and others will be traveling throughout the land seeking Allah’s bounty, and others will be fighting in Allah’s cause. So recite as much of it as is easy (for you) [19]. And establish prayer [20], and give zakat, and lend to Allah a good loan [21]. And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, better [22] and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness from Allah [23]. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[18] This verse of Surah Muzammil comprises an entire ruku. According to one narration, it was revealed eight months after the Hijrah; according to another, one year after; and according to a third narration, ten years after. In our opinion, the third narration is preferable because in this ruku there is mention of fighting in the way of Allah and of zakat, and both of these were made obligatory during the Madinan period. According to the first command, it was necessary for you ﷺ and, in your ﷺ following, for the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to stand in prayer for at least a third of the night. But in those days, there were no clocks, so you ﷺ and likewise the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sometimes stand for most of the night, merely out of caution lest the time be less than a third of the night, and thus, at times, their feet would become swollen from standing. Later, through this command, considerable alleviation was granted in the previous command.

[19] From this verse, it is self-evident that after this command, standing in prayer at night (qiyam al-layl) was no longer obligatory, nor is there any restriction on a fixed amount of Quran to be recited in it. However, for you ﷺ, the tahajjud prayer was obligatory—not by virtue of this verse, but by virtue of the verse in Surah Bani Isra'il: ﴿وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهٖ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ﴾ [79:17]. In this verse, Allah Almighty has also considered traveling for the sake of earning lawful sustenance as a valid excuse, equal to fighting in the way of Allah, from which the great virtue of earning lawful sustenance is evident.

[20]
Avoiding Lengthy Recitation in Congregational Prayer:

In the matter of congregational prayer, it should be kept in mind that the recitation should not be too lengthy, as is clear from the following hadith: Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari ؓ says that Mu'adh bin Jabal ؓ would perform the obligatory prayer with you ﷺ, then go and lead his own people in prayer. One day, he led the 'Isha prayer and began Surah Baqarah. A man (who used to fetch water) broke off from the prayer and left. Mu'adh began to speak ill of him. This matter reached the Prophet ﷺ (the man went and complained to you ﷺ about Mu'adh), so you ﷺ said to Mu'adh three times, "Fattan" or "Faatin" (one who causes trouble), then ordered Mu'adh to "recite two surahs from the middle-length surahs (Awsat Mufassal)." Another narrator of this incident, Abu Mas'ud, says, "I have never seen you ﷺ more angry in admonition and advice than on that day." You ﷺ said, "Some of you want to drive people away. Look! Whoever among you leads the people in prayer should make it light, for among them are the weak, the elderly, and those with needs. But when one prays alone, he may make it as long as he wishes." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب اذا طوّل الامام۔۔]

However, when a person is praying alone, he may recite as much as he wishes.

[21]
Qard Hasan is Separate from Zakat:

Allah Almighty has mentioned zakat separately and qard hasan (a goodly loan) separately. From this, it is understood that Muslims should continue to give other voluntary charities in addition to the obligatory charity, i.e., zakat. For details and rulings regarding qard hasan, see the footnote to verse 11 of Surah Hadid.

[22] The only wealth that benefits a person is that which he spends in the way of Allah. Once, you ﷺ said that a person says, "This is my wealth, this is my wealth," whereas his wealth is only that which he has consumed or worn or spent in the way of Allah. And the wealth he leaves behind after death is not his; it belongs to his heirs. In this blessed statement, you ﷺ have also considered the wealth that is eaten and worn as one's own wealth—it is certainly his, and perhaps there will be no questioning about it before Allah. But the only wealth that will benefit a person is that which he spent in the way of Allah or used to relieve the needs of the needy. This is the wealth regarding which Allah Almighty has promised a great reward.

[23] The benefit of seeking forgiveness (istighfar) is not limited to Allah Almighty, out of His grace, forgiving the sins of the one who seeks forgiveness; rather, many worldly benefits are also obtained from it. For details, see footnote number 5 of Surah Nuh.